First Lady Julia Grant

William Seale and Pamela Sanfilippo talked about the life and influence of first lady Julia Grant and responded to telephone calls and…
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William Seale and Pamela Sanfilippo talked about the life and influence of first lady Julia Grant and responded to telephone calls and electronic communications.*From a slave-holding family, she became the wife of the commanding Union general during the Civil War and relished her time in the White House. She was also the first president’s wife to write her memories. Her background, family life, and social style were discussed, including her relationship with Mary Lincoln. Topics included President Grant’s reputation including alleged drunkenness, business dealings and scandals, and his civil rights record. Several video clips were shown from the documentary The White House: Inside America’s Most Famous Home, and from the U.S. Grant Home State Historic Site in Galena, Illinois, and the White Haven and Hardscrabble houses at the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site in St Louis, Missouri.

This was the 11th episode in the C-SPAN series “First Ladies: Influence and Image.” close

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*The transcript for this program was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.